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When the call came Saturday from Floyd Landis, who was stripped from his 2006 Tour de France title for testing positive for performance-enhancing substances, Duane Strawser wasn't sure what to think.
Nevada City's race organizer didn't exactly want anything to distract attention from the 50th annual Classic, something he, his hearty crew of volunteers and the city, itself, had been planning for more than a year.
But Landis, Strawser said, left the decision of whether or not to actually extend an invitation to the former cycling superstar in his hands.
“He said he understood and didn't want to be a distraction,” Strawser said. “He was very considerate of that.”
In fact, Landis also left the decision of whether to publicize the fact that he would be racing in Nevada City up to Strawser.
“Thank you, Duane,” Landis wrote in an e-mail “I really appreciate the response and the invitation. Count on me being there and I'll leave it up to you, if you'd like to tell anybody that I'll be there.
“As far as anybody who has any questions from the press: ‘I enjoy racing my bicycle again for the reasons which brought me to it almost 20 years ago now. And that's all I'll have to say.'”
Landis knew he would face questions after finally admitting to doping last month, when he also alleged former teammate Lance Armstrong, and a slew of other cycling stars, also had used performance-enhancing drugs.
“I want to clear my conscience,” Landis told ESPN.com at the time. “I don't want to be part of the problem anymore.”
For his part, Armstrong — likely to have been drug tested more than any athlete on the face of the Earth — denied the accusations.
"We have nothing to hide," Armstrong said in Visalia, just before the fifth stage of the Tour of California. "Credibility. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago."
When Landis “came clean” last month, he essentially admitted that he had been lying about his own use of PED's ever since being stripped of his 2006 Tour of France crown. During that time, he repeatedly denied ever using drugs during his career.
“As long as I know I earned what I got, that was satisfactory,” Landis said in a 2007 hearing in Pasadena. “People are defined by their principles and how they make their decisions.
“Obviously it's always fun to win but nevertheless it's a matter of who I am and it wouldn't serve any purpose to cheat and win the Tour because I wouldn't be proud of it.”
Whether or not he now is telling the truth remains to be seen, but a federal investigation is looking into Landis' allegations , led by Jeff Novitzky, the same man who investigated the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) case.
The trouble for Landis, now that he's admitted to cheating, is that his legacy will be decided in the court of public opinion. And while Americans seem to be able to offer second chances to athletes who have come clean, they're not as fast to forgive those who have lied about it first.
And they're not so quick to believe them either.
Ken Caminiti alleged all the way back in 2002 that 50 percent of Major League Baseball players were juiced. Jose Canseco said essentially the same thing, after denying such during his own playing days.
At first, they were both dismissed, simply due to considering the source. But now? They both look to have been pretty much spot on.
Whether Landis will one day be vindicated on his own allegations wasn't something he wanted to talk about after finishing fourth in Sunday's race in Nevada City. In fact, he made it clear that he would only be taking questions about the race, itself.
As he was introduced before the race, the crowd applauded at first, followed by a small smattering of boos as he put his front tire on the Broad Street start/finish line.
Such a mixed bag is about the best Landis can expect from fans these days, after becoming somewhat of a cycling pariah due to taking on the sport's biggest stars last month.
After all, he showed up Sunday wearing an jersey unaffiliated with any team, having been dumped by two teams in the past year, the latest being the Bahati team after Landis launched his allegations during the Tour of California.
For now, the 34-year-old is not sure when he'll race again, offering only that he hopes it to be sooner rather than later.
But he said that he did appreciate the chance to test himself — and actually lead a lap — in Nevada City, where he last raced in support of Scott Moninger for the Mercury team in 1999.
“I like bike racing,” he said, sitting on the saddle while looking up on the Broad Street hill he had been barreling down for the past punishing 90 minutes. “I happened to be in Northern California, visiting some friends — and some lawyers — for different reasons. I just happened to be here.
“I don't' know what the future holds. I'm just enjoying racing bicycles for the reasons I did 15 years ago.”
If that's the case, then it's too bad that he allowed something so sinister as cheating to come between himself and the sport he still professes to love.
Brian Hamilton is sports editor at The Union. Contact him via e-mail at bhamilton@theunion.com or by phone at 477-4240.
Nevada City's race organizer didn't exactly want anything to distract attention from the 50th annual Classic, something he, his hearty crew of volunteers and the city, itself, had been planning for more than a year.
But Landis, Strawser said, left the decision of whether or not to actually extend an invitation to the former cycling superstar in his hands.
“He said he understood and didn't want to be a distraction,” Strawser said. “He was very considerate of that.”
In fact, Landis also left the decision of whether to publicize the fact that he would be racing in Nevada City up to Strawser.
“Thank you, Duane,” Landis wrote in an e-mail “I really appreciate the response and the invitation. Count on me being there and I'll leave it up to you, if you'd like to tell anybody that I'll be there.
“As far as anybody who has any questions from the press: ‘I enjoy racing my bicycle again for the reasons which brought me to it almost 20 years ago now. And that's all I'll have to say.'”
Landis knew he would face questions after finally admitting to doping last month, when he also alleged former teammate Lance Armstrong, and a slew of other cycling stars, also had used performance-enhancing drugs.
“I want to clear my conscience,” Landis told ESPN.com at the time. “I don't want to be part of the problem anymore.”
For his part, Armstrong — likely to have been drug tested more than any athlete on the face of the Earth — denied the accusations.
"We have nothing to hide," Armstrong said in Visalia, just before the fifth stage of the Tour of California. "Credibility. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago."
When Landis “came clean” last month, he essentially admitted that he had been lying about his own use of PED's ever since being stripped of his 2006 Tour of France crown. During that time, he repeatedly denied ever using drugs during his career.
“As long as I know I earned what I got, that was satisfactory,” Landis said in a 2007 hearing in Pasadena. “People are defined by their principles and how they make their decisions.
“Obviously it's always fun to win but nevertheless it's a matter of who I am and it wouldn't serve any purpose to cheat and win the Tour because I wouldn't be proud of it.”
Whether or not he now is telling the truth remains to be seen, but a federal investigation is looking into Landis' allegations , led by Jeff Novitzky, the same man who investigated the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) case.
The trouble for Landis, now that he's admitted to cheating, is that his legacy will be decided in the court of public opinion. And while Americans seem to be able to offer second chances to athletes who have come clean, they're not as fast to forgive those who have lied about it first.
And they're not so quick to believe them either.
Ken Caminiti alleged all the way back in 2002 that 50 percent of Major League Baseball players were juiced. Jose Canseco said essentially the same thing, after denying such during his own playing days.
At first, they were both dismissed, simply due to considering the source. But now? They both look to have been pretty much spot on.
Whether Landis will one day be vindicated on his own allegations wasn't something he wanted to talk about after finishing fourth in Sunday's race in Nevada City. In fact, he made it clear that he would only be taking questions about the race, itself.
As he was introduced before the race, the crowd applauded at first, followed by a small smattering of boos as he put his front tire on the Broad Street start/finish line.
Such a mixed bag is about the best Landis can expect from fans these days, after becoming somewhat of a cycling pariah due to taking on the sport's biggest stars last month.
After all, he showed up Sunday wearing an jersey unaffiliated with any team, having been dumped by two teams in the past year, the latest being the Bahati team after Landis launched his allegations during the Tour of California.
For now, the 34-year-old is not sure when he'll race again, offering only that he hopes it to be sooner rather than later.
But he said that he did appreciate the chance to test himself — and actually lead a lap — in Nevada City, where he last raced in support of Scott Moninger for the Mercury team in 1999.
“I like bike racing,” he said, sitting on the saddle while looking up on the Broad Street hill he had been barreling down for the past punishing 90 minutes. “I happened to be in Northern California, visiting some friends — and some lawyers — for different reasons. I just happened to be here.
“I don't' know what the future holds. I'm just enjoying racing bicycles for the reasons I did 15 years ago.”
If that's the case, then it's too bad that he allowed something so sinister as cheating to come between himself and the sport he still professes to love.
Brian Hamilton is sports editor at The Union. Contact him via e-mail at bhamilton@theunion.com or by phone at 477-4240.
